GAP Data

The GAP project shows that both increasing the number of reimbursed therapies and eliminating criteria that narrow the access is a must. Indicators are confirming that the time lag between drug registration and reimbursement shall be reduced, and access to diagnostics shall be improved in a significant manner. Challenges related to the reimbursement procedures and timely access to diagnostics are areas where joint action is needed.

The GAP level in the 2026 edition is clearly differentiated both across countries and disease areas. In the Czech Republic, relatively moderate and fairly balanced limitations are observed across all three main areas of analysis: oncology, rare indications, and common diseases. In Slovakia and Hungary, the results across these areas are also relatively similar; however, in each case they are markedly lower than in the Czech Republic. Against this backdrop, Poland stands out with significantly greater variation in scores between the main disease groups. In oncology and rare diseases, limitations in access to modern treatments are relatively moderate, whereas in common diseases the results are worse than in the other countries in the region. The smallest differences between the analyzed conditions are observed in access to treatment for prostate cancer and cystic fibrosis, while the largest disparities across the V4 countries are seen in the treatment of lymphomas and ovarian cancer.

In each of the analyzed diseases, some limitations in access to the latest therapeutic options as well as the rapid diagnosis were identified. On the example of these selected disease entities, it can be concluded that similar limitations exist in other diseases. This means that patients in V4 countries are not treated in the most optimal way as indicated in clinical guidelines. This contributes to suboptimal health outcomes, increased DALY burden, and increased indirect costs.